Sleepless Beauty
by Xaphrin
Summary: STRONGLY RATED. When Starfire and Robin begin to date, Raven realizes her feelings for the Boy Wonder. But Red X reappears and Raven begins to succumb to his alluring mystery. Is he just a substitute? Or is there someone more behind the mask?
1. Sleepless Beauty

**Sleepless Beauty**

_A Raven and Red X Story_

"(sotto dakishimete kowasu you ni)  
muku na mama de sarasarete hanabira o chirasu hana no you ni  
migaku houseki te no naka no HIBI ni sae kizukihajimeteru"  
_Sleepless Beauty; _K.ITO + D.K (_Gravitation_)

TRANSLATION:  
(Hold me gently in order to break me)  
Be exposed in a state of purity like a flower whose petals have fallen.  
You're just beginning to notice the days are shining jewels cupped in your hand

(MOO)

"That's just sick…" Raven muttered under her breath. With one sharp turn on her heel, she exited the living room. She didn't even bother to cast one last glance over her shoulder. What was the point? All she would see was a tall, slender, model-like alien with flaming red hair sucking face with a masked boy wonder. Why bother breaking her heart another time?

It had been like this for a few months now. Everywhere Raven turned, Robin and Starfire would be kissing, holding hands, or whispering sweet nothings into each others' ears. It made a cheesy romance movie actually seem _remotely_ tolerable. But that wasn't what bothered Raven the most. No… the thing that bothered her most was that only minutes after their proclamation of love and courtship, Raven had realized what she felt for Robin. She felt _love_ for him… strong, barely bridled, deep love.

The irony of it all made her queasy.

But, Starfire was her friend, and she couldn't betray her. The red-haired alien was far too happy with her new relationship, and seeing her happy actually brought _some_ joy to the dark girl's life. So Raven was forced to stay hidden in the shadows and watch their blossoming love from afar. She had to watch when Robin kissed her… when Robin held her… and when Robin whispered into her ear.

"It's! So! DUMB!" She cried out frustrated, as her feet landed on the empty roof. "WHY? It's not fair! It's not fair that _she_ can have love! That _he_ can be happy! …" There was a long moment of silence as the words formed in head and then traveled to her lips. "It's not fair that I have to be so alone…" Raven whispered, falling to her knees.

She flopped onto the roof-top and looked up at the darkening sky above her. Twilight was always the best time of the day; not quite day and not quite night. It was a time with its own name, a time when you didn't have to be perfectly day or night. You could be whatever you wanted to be.

'I need to tell him…' Raven thought carefully as she forced herself to calm down. 'I can't continue to pretend that nothing is wrong when I see the both of them. Besides, Robin is beginning to notice how I always excuse myself whenever they're together. Although he is an idiot when it comes to emotions and feelings… he's one to understand when something isn't quite right. He'll figure it out soon enough, and I'll be screwed anyway.'

"Raven?"

As if on cue, the Boy Wonder appeared on the rooftop, looking strangely like the masked Lone Ranger in the fading sun. The dark woman quickly snapped up from her sprawled out position and tried to regain her normal, cool veneer. She looked at him with slight curiosity, and then turned away, hoping her cheeks didn't flame up suddenly. He always had the _worst_ timing when it came to her.

"What is it?" She asked in a steely tone, her eyes gazing out at the calm sea below them.

"I heard you rush from the living room." Pause. "Is everything all right?"

Raven turned slowly, deep purple eyes fluttering slightly at his question. Her lips trembled as she let out a soft, inaudible sigh. He _did_ look awfully handsome standing there… should she tell him what was ailing her? Was this a good time to let him know? Was it the _proper_ time to let him know? After all, Starfire and he had only been dating for a few moths… _was_ that an appropriate amount of time for a confession? Now that she thought about it, when _was_ an "appropriate" time for a confession?

'I shouldn't delay,' Raven thought sourly, a slight pink color staining her face. 'It'll just make things worse. Besides, there's no time like the present to do one's chores.' She paused for a moment, before turning to look at him to continue their semblance of a conversation.

"No. Actually…" She stood up and walked slowly toward him, her face shrinking back into the shadows of her hood and its expression becoming unreadable. "Can I talk to you, Robin?"

Robin cocked that sexy, boyish grin of his and gently punched her shoulder, just as he would a kid sister. "Of course, Rae. You know I'm always here to talk to. What's the problem?" He motioned for both of them to sit down, but Raven refused. She continued to stand in front of him, watching as his lithe, sinewy figure was outlined by the nearly set sun.

"I…" She tuned away quickly, trying to gather her words as her throat suddenly became as dry as the Sahara. "I'm having some… boy problems."

There was a long, heavy pause and Raven chanced a glance at Robin. Strangely enough, his sexy smile was faltering. It was slowing shattering into millions of pieces before her eyes. It looked as though he were… irritated?

'Just like a guy!' Raven rolled her eyes and turned away from him completely. 'The moment I bring up feelings, he starts thinking he's too _macho_. What an imbecile.' She huffed out an angry and indelicate snort, and then turned away. "Forget about it. It's not worth it," she muttered to him as she walked to the roof door.

"Raven, wait!" Robin hopped up on his feet and chased after her quickly. "I told you I'd help you, let me at least try." He flashed that stupid, faltering smile of his. It was really beginning to piss Raven off; Robin was literally lying through his teeth and thought that she couldn't tell. She wasn't going to force him to listen to her 'girly problems' if he didn't want to.

"No."

His fake smile immediately fell into a look of confusion and despair. "No?"

"No. I'll figure it out by myself, thank you." Raven started toward the door again, but Robin grabbed her shoulder firmly.

"Please? At least tell me what's wrong… I want to help. You're my friend." He looked at her with a look so open and pathetic that Raven had no choice but to roll her eyes and bear all to him… or at least a _fraction_ of all. His newly acquired, macho attitude didn't constitute that she should tell him… _everything_.

"There's this guy I like… but he has a girlfriend," Raven spit out quickly, her face burning almost painfully in embarrassment. "I don't know what I should do… if I should tell him I… _like_ him, or just let the whole matter rest."

"Does he like her?" Robin asked flatly, his face holding a hint of curiosity, which confused Raven slightly. Why did he put on a macho attitude if he was so damn curious? What was he hiding from her?

"He's told her he loves her," Raven responded coolly, pulling her shoulder from his grasp and walking toward the edge of the roof. "And I can see that he loves her, every time he looks at her his eyes light up and… and I don't see that look often." Her face fell into one of despair, and she looked back at Robin.

"But… that doesn't mean he loves her. What you see and what he feels are two different things. Actors are great because they know how to make things look like something they're not…" Robin paused for a moment and he walked up to Raven carefully, his eyes watching every subtle movement for some sign of what she was thinking. But Raven made sure that nothing from her true thoughts shown through, and remained a statue of cold, beautiful marble.

"So? What should I do?" Raven asked flatly, a perfectly shaped brow arching in skepticism. She watched as several emotions flew across his face, before he landed on a cool one that mimicked her own.

"Tell him." Robin's answer was short and to the point. It sounded almost as if it were forced out against his deepest and darkest will, and that confused Raven slightly. What was his problem? "Let him know how you feel… it's the only thing you can do. And… I'm sure he'll understand how you feel, Raven. When you express your emotions… that's when they're treasured the most by others." His face melted into an understanding look, which took Raven completely by surprise. He understood her… he understood that her emotions were rarely expressed. By telling her that they were treasured, he had made her adoration for him grow even more.

Raven looked at him for a long moment, before deciding that she _had_ to tell him. It was important that he know… and he know _now_. "Robin… I-"

A beeping and flashing light quickly pulled both their attentions to the situation that was occuring. With two deep sighs and irritated looks, they walked to the roof door and down the stairs into the tower. After all, the city was counting on them to save it from a few, stupid bank robbers.

(MOO)

Raven sat on her bed and forced herself to meditate. But the task quickly became tedious as her mind wandered back to her conversation with the masked Boy Wonder only hours before. What had he meant when he said her emotions were most treasured when they were expressed? And what possessed him to look at her with that gaze of understanding? What _was_ it about him that drove her completely wild?

"I feel like the more I try to understand him, the more I'm confused…" She whispered to herself. Raven fell back onto her bed and stared at the dark ceiling, trying to decipher everything that had happened today. But it was pointless and futile, for her mind was already beginning to shut down and drift into sleep. It was rejecting every attempt Raven made at staying awake and thinking about the boy wonder.

"But, I won't think about that now…" Raven mumbled à la Scarlett O'Hara as she got up and substituted her cloak and leotard for a pair of PJ pants and wife-beater. "I'll think about that tomorrow." Stretching her tired limbs, she crawled under the covers and let her eyes close in slumber. She had barely been asleep for an hour when silent alarms began to sound in her head.

Someone had entered her room without her permission.

They were going to die, and the world was going end if they didn't remove themselves quickly.

Raven rolled over and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Get out. I don't want any food, I don't want to play a game, and if the city isn't going up in flames or being taken over by a sadistic, alien race, I don't care, because I'm sleeping," She muttered sleepily, but still firmly, into her pillow.

"Is that so?"

The tinny, metallic voice was oh-too-familiar, and Raven could do nothing but bolt upright in her bed. After her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked across the room at the familiar, masked figure that stood near her door, arms crossed over his chest and looking at her from beneath that mask. She could almost _swear_ that she saw a cocky, egotistical smile beneath that stupid mask.

"No…" Raven whispered in shock and surprise. "You're _back_?" She cried in frustration, her eyes rolling to the ceiling exasperatedly. "Well, _shit_. This just ruined my sleep."

"If I didn't know you better, I'd almost be insulted." In one swift, unforeseen movement, Red X crossed the room, pulled Raven from her bed, and wrapped his arms around her body in an unrelenting bind. A gloved hand was pressed firmly against her mouth, while the other held her arms tightly to her waist; she was trapped in a horrid embrace.

"Yes… I'm back," he hissed into her ear.

"Mmmph! Mmm-mm!" Raven muttered against his firm hand.

"What am I here for? Why, for _you_ of course!" His voice seemed almost playful as she struggled against his strong arms. "I've been thinking about you a lot, Raven. Watching you on the news and in the papers… your cold veil never changes. But I am determined to fix that. I think you deserve to express your emotions, and in due time, I think you can find something special in me."

"Mmph-mmmmmmph?"

"Like what? Well… perhaps you'll just have to wait and find out. After all, when I leave I won't be gone forever. I'll come as see you again, as often as I desire." His hand around her waist slowly traveled northward and cupped her large breast. "However, I must say this before I leave… you might want to double up the wife-beaters. I can see your chest right through it…" His thumb feathered her nipple for a moment before he let go and backed away. "I'll see you soon, my dark bird." With that last statement and a cloud of gray smoke, he was gone.

"Bastard!" Raven hissed as her face burned a bright shade of crimson. "How _dare _he touch me like that!" She seethed with so much anger that a pillow on her bed suddenly exploded into a cloud of white goose down. "He's _so_ going to see the back of my hand next time I lay eyes on him! … that was not his to touch!"

She paused and looked out the window at the night sky. Red X had just made a new enemy… or so she thought. Unbeknownst to Raven, there was much more in store for her…

(MOO)

For all of you who wanted me to expand on _Anti-Nostalgic_, congratulations! You now have _Sleepless Beauty_ for your viewing pleasure! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did… you are more than welcome to click that button in the lower left corner and leave a review… I always feel so darned special when you do!

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY BETAER: **ArtemisGirl **LOVE YA LOTS!

All lyrics and translations for this story are found at AnimeLyrics(dot)com!

NAME THAT TUNE (Because I'm listening to a song that I think everyone should know, and I always loved that "Name That Tune" game.):  
… you really got to justify. Take a breath and look around a lot of folks deserve to die! _(A lot of folks deserve to die!)  
_… If you want to rationale it isn't that hard to see! Stop and think it over pal, the guy sure looks like plant food to me!  
The guy sure looks like pant food to me! The guy sure look like plant food to me! … so go git it.


	2. Predilection

**Sleepless Beauty  
**Chapter Two: Predilection  
_April 18, 2005_

can't get enough utsukushii mayonaka  
don't let me down hashiritsuzukete mo mata  
one more night nigerenai no wa dare  
kizukitaku mo nai sono shinjitsu  
_Predilection;_ Yamaguchi Kappei (_Gravitation)_

TRANSLATION:

can't get enough of this beautiful midnight  
don't let me down, I'll still run to you  
one more night, which of us will never escape?  
I wish I knew the truth

(MOO)

"Raven!"

An eye popped open.

"Raven!"

A deep sigh escaped.

"RAVEN!"

"_What?_" she hissed as the door opened sharply. The cybernetic human in front of her didn't even flinch, even though he should be cowering in fear; after all, he _had_ just disturbed _and_ angered _Raven_.

"This came for you today." He calmly handed her a thin box wrapped in dark brown paper with nothing other than her name printed on the front. It wasn't heavy; in fact it was rather light and nothing inside made a noise as it was jostled around. Raven began to wonder if there was anything in it at all.

"You don't know what I had to do to keep it away from Beast Boy," Cyborg continued, "He kept trying to shake it or open it or _something_."

Raven looked up from the box and raised an eyebrow at him. "Thanks, Cyborg, but… who's it from?"

Cyborg shrugged nonchalantly, as if that piece of information was irrelevant. "Don't know. It just showed up on the door step an hour ago."

"It took you _that_ long to get it up here?" Raven looked at him incredulously, as if accusing him of shaking the box.

"I told you it was hell trying to keep it away from the little green dude," Cyborg responded quickly, lest he find himself on the receiving end of her powers. "It's no easy job keeping an unidentified package away from him, let alone one addressed to _you_. I thought the guy was going to explode with curiosity."

"So, where's he now?" Raven questioned, tucking the box underneath her arm.

"Doing yoga."

"Yoga?" Raven's face showed mild surprise. Beast Boy wasn't exactly a "yoga person", so what could posses him to _do_ yoga?

"Not by choice." His wide grin told Raven all she needed to know.

"Ah… I see." A smile peeled across her own lips as she looked up at him. "Thanks again, Cyborg."

"Sure." Pause. "Aren't you gonna open it?" He looked a little too eager, and Raven wasn't sure if she wanted _everyone_ to know what she got from some mysterious sender. For all she knew it could be some full sized poster of a naked guy… you never know what crazy stalkers will send you.

"Not in front of you," she responded calmly.

"Got'cha," Cyborg said quickly with an understanding nod. "Well, I'll leave you and your box alone. See ya later." With a quick wave he started off down the hall. Raven stood and waited until he had turned the corner to retreat inside her room.

'What is in here…?' she thought placing the box on her bed. Even after examining the box more thoroughly, she found no clue or indication about the sender. The box was free of smudges, postage, return labels; it was completely blank. Raven _really_ wanted to open it, but the last time the Titans got a strange package she ended up in Starfire's body… that was an experience she did _not_ want to repeat.

'But I don't have a choice… what if it's a timed bomb? Then again, what if it's a pressure sensitive bomb that will explode when I open the box?' She paused for a moment and shook her head. 'There are too many what-if's. I have no other option than to open it.' She slipped her fingers under the seams and carefully pulled at the paper.

"Please…" She muttered under her breath as she stripped the brown covering off. "Please don't let it be a bomb… or a full sized poster of a naked man… a naked, _fat_ man. Or Beast Boy. For the love of all things good, _please_ don't let it be a naked picture of Beast Boy." She pulled the top off the box and tentatively looked inside.

It was just a dress.

"Oh, good lord…" Raven murmured as she rolled her eyes ceiling-ward. She pulled the folded gown from the box and held it up in front of her. It was a slim, black, satin dress; simple, elegant, and the perfect size for her.

'What kind of pervert sends a dress that fits _perfectly_?' she thought, glaring at the dress accusingly. 'That is just plain _creepy_.' After searching through the tissue paper for a little bit, she found a small piece of red paper… a note.

_Raven:  
I hope you enjoy the dress; I made sure it was tailored specifically for your body. Come and visit me this evening. I'll be at the __Crowne__Plaza__'s Crystal Dining Room at __eleven o'clock__. Tell the maître d' your name and he'll take you to see me. Please wear the dress.  
Red X_

'Oh no!' Raven suddenly moaned as if mortally wounded. She fell on her bed and reread the note, hoping she hadn't misinterpreted anything; she hadn't. 'This isn't _fair_!" She thought angrily, 'Isn't that stupid bastard ever going to leave me alone? Isn't it enough that he entered my room and _groped_ me last night? Now he wants me to go and _visit_ him? Who does he think he _is_?' She glared again at the beautiful dress, feeling very ambiguous about the whole ordeal.

It had been several months since Robin's "Red X" suit had been stolen from his possession, and the new Red X had failed to show up anywhere past his initial debut. The Titans looked high and low for even an inkling of a clue, but the new Red X seemed to be keeping a profile similar to that of dirt. After two or three months the Titans had given up the search for the thief and went on with their daily lives; there wasn't much else they could do. The stranger had eluded them completely and efficiently.

But, now he had appeared again, and Raven found herself at a very strange impasse. On one hand, she knew that Red X was being a perverted, creepy, psychopath stalker. She didn't even know _who_ he _was,_ let alone his motives for tracking her down and "watching" her. She _should_ be running to her other teammates to tell them of his return. She _should_ have alerted them immediately. She _should_ have at least lashed out with her own powers.

But she didn't.

And the strangest thing was that Raven didn't want to tell anyone about his return.

She wasn't sure _why_, but he sparked a strange interest in her. Maybe it was her dark, masochistic side seeping through; or maybe it was something else… some alluring aspect of his _own_dark side, or the fact that he actually _noticed_ Raven. Few people on earth actually noticed that Raven existed, let alone that she was a person with feelings and wants and desires just like the rest of the "normal" world.

Whatever it was that drew her to him, Raven was sure there was no set answer; everything was covered in a thick, hazy fog not even she couldn't see through. But there was one thing she was absolutely sure about: she did _not_ want to alert the Titans. If she did, they might take him away from her… and Raven couldn't handle that. She wanted to be noticed, just like Robin and Starfire and Beast Boy and Cyborg. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

'I guess I don't have a choice…' Raven sighed deeply as she took a good, long look at the black dress on her bed. 'I can't very well_ ignore_ him, he'll just come after me even more. And it's not like I won't be doing work, or fraternizing with the enemy. I just want to see what he wants with me. I guess I could be considered some sort of inside job or something. Undercover work for the Titans…' She held the dress to herself and looked in the mirror across her room, imagining the way her body would look in it.

'Eleven, huh?'

(MOO)

'What am I _doing_ here?' Raven thought to herself as a snooty maître d' led her through a maze of golden-lined corridors to the back of the Crystal Dining Room. '_Why_ am I going through all this trouble, just to meet some perverted psychopath?' It had taken Raven several minutes to find anyone that would even _look_ at her, let alone _talk_ to her. She was surprised the doorman actually let her into the lobby; sometimes being socially invisible really sucked.

As Raven continued through the hotel, she pushed off her hood and took a deep, calming breath. Her nerves were twisting and knotting inside her body, making this whole situation very difficult to deal with. But it wasn't _just_ this bizarre meeting that was bothering her. No, she knew that at this _exact moment_ Robin and Starfire would be lazily making their way from a movie theater to an ice cream parlor. And where was Raven? Meeting some pervert of a man she wished she _wasn't_ drawn to. The three Fates must be rolling with laughter on their fat, old behinds right now.

"Miss Raven."

The dark girl suddenly looked up at the maître d' and raised a speculative eyebrow. Wow… he was _talking_ to her. "Yes?"

"Here." He pointed sharply to a door which was nearly hidden by several, large silk plants, and labeled with a golden plaque that stated "Red Crystal – Private Dining". Raven turned to him in slight surprise, as if silently asking what she was supposed to do.

"Your presence is requested in _that_ room," the maître d' responded, rolling his eyes and regarding her as if she were stupid. With that last comment, he turned on his heel and hurried away, lest he be obligated to be in conversation with this _nobody_ any longer.

"Snotty bastard," the dark girl hissed under her breath as she turned back to the camouflaged door.

'Private dining room?' She thought, trying to calculate exactly how much a private dining room at the city's most elite hotel was worth. 'So that means,' Raven speculated as she reached out and placed her fingertips on the handle, 'that whoever "Red X" _actually_ is, he must be loaded. I don't know if I should be comforted by this, or disturbed.'

She pushed the door open and ventured inside. There were bolts of red velvet and wine colored crystals _everywhere._ There was a single, two-person table, decorated in coordinating flowers, china, and silverware. The overpowering crimson color made Raven suddenly feel as if she had just stepped into a Ricky Martin music video.

"You came."

Her eyes quickly focused on a singular being, clad in black and sitting on a sofa in the corner. He rose and approached her carefully, as if every step he took could be his last. Finally he stopped in front of her and looked into her deep eyes; or at least Raven _assumed_ that was what he was doing. You could never tell with that scull-mask of his on.

"I surprised you decided to show." There was a subtle note of amazement in his voice and he took a half step back, so he could gaze upon her more fully. "Let alone wear the dress I sent. I must say, however, it _does_ fit you quite well."

Raven said nothing; she stood there and glared at him silently, feeling anger beginning to well up inside her.

"You're not very talkative this evening, are you?" Red X questioned softly and gently, slowly extending his gloved fingertips to trail along the soft planes of her face. "We'll have to remedy that."

Without any warning, Raven's hand came up toward the villain's face. Red X simply caught her wrist mid-swing, and stopped her attack. There was a slight pause, and then he began to chuckle softly at her. The dark girl stood there and continued to glare at him as he held her left arm in a bind. His laughter was starting to _really_ get on her nerves.

"What do you want with me?" She suddenly asked, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Ah, so she _can_ speak!" Red X teased gently, his fingertips now slipping lower to span the back of her delicate neck. "What I want with you should be fairly simple, my dark princess. But, if you can't figure it out…"

There was a sudden onslaught of her right hand and Red X stopped that just as easily as her first attempt. With a quick, firm pull, he stretched both her arms straight out to her side, thus forcing Raven's body inches from his own. There was nothing she could to but glare up at him with cold, angry eyes. She was beginning to _hate_ the way he talked to her, the way he "looked" at her, the way he smelled. Everything about him screamed danger and sensuality. All of her senses were putting up a good fight against Raven's sensibility.

"Temper, temper." Red X teased playfully as he looked down at her, cocking his head to the side in wonder. "Why the violence tonight, my little bird?"

Raven stared at him incredulously, as if she couldn't believe that he didn't remember last night's _episode_. "You _groped_ me last night!" She cried, forcing her wrists to struggle against his vice-like grip. It seemed very futile, as none of his fingers barely even budged. After a long moment of toiling against his grip, she stilled and settled for glaring at him some more. "What am I supposed to do when you cop a feel? Thank you?"

"That's an option." Red X bent his head to her own, so that his mask hovered only centimeters from her face. Although Raven couldn't see past the scull-barrier, she could feel the heavy, sexual gaze he had planted on her, and it made her very, _very_ uncomfortable. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, her body trapped by his strong hands and held completely open to him.

"I really must apologize for my crude behavior last night…" Red X began his voice playful in tone. "But I _had_ to make sure the dress was going to fit properly. You, of all people, should be aware of your large… _endowments_. It's very hard to have a dress made for someone with a body like yours."

"You are a sick bastard," Raven hissed, her voice wavering under the onslaught of emotions he placed upon her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could bear to be this close to him.

"Is that so?" He pulled her arms farther outward, forcing Raven's body completely against his own. They were pressed so tightly together, that it was impossible to tell where one left off and the other began.

Raven's cheeks quickly stained a deep red, and she looked up at him accusingly. "Excited are we?"

Red X laughed earnestly, his head tossed back as if he found the whole situation very humorous. "Why should I hide the evidence of my desire, little bird? What do_ I_ have to keep from _you_?"

A small smirk appeared on Raven's lips, as she whispered, "Your identity… _Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!"

The hard, scull-mask of Red X began to spider, and in seconds the whole thing had shattered to the floor in a tinkling of protective metal. Raven felt quite happy at that moment, for now she would figure out _who_ Red X was, and give him a good beating for being a pervert. With a smug smile placed on her face, she looked up at him…

… and then her smile fell into a look of despair.

A cloth, red, X-shaped mask covered just his eyes, further hiding his identity.

"Do you feel accomplished, little bird?" He teased gently, bending his head so close that his lips brushed her own. With his mask on, Red X had been a very sexual person, but with his mask off he screamed sexuality from every pore of his body. A slow, soft smirk appeared on his lips and his silver locks of hair fell forward to brush gently along Raven's face.

"You-" her words were suddenly cut short as he pressed his lips tightly against her own. Raven stood there in shock, her eyes slowly drifting close. His kisses were hard and forceful, as if he were demanding her response instead of asking for it. The dark girl had no other choice but to comply and kiss him back.

After several, long minutes, he pulled away and smiled at Raven. "Now, little bird, that wasn't _so_ bad… was it?" With a slight nip to her lips, he let go of her arms. Taking a step back, he watched as her strong blush slowly faded away, and Raven finally became aware of her surroundings again.

"Come and sit down, Raven… or our dinner will get cold." Red X turned and walked away. Raven stared at his figure for several moments, trying to figure out not only _who_ he was, but how he had anticipated her motive. How had he known that she had the intentions of unmasking him today? What did this guy know about _her_? And why was his kiss permanently burned into her soul?

"Wine?"

Raven gave a start as she was pulled from her reverie. "Huh?"

A smirk appeared across those perfect lips. "Did I surprise you that much, little bird? I didn't mean to be so harsh with my kisses… next time I'll be gentle, I promise." Pause. "Wine?"

Raven stood there and watched as he poured a half-glass of some dark, expensive wine for himself, and positioned the bottle over her own. "I don't drink," she responded shortly, looking at him with a suddenly accusing stare. What _was_ he trying to pull with her? She wasn't stupid enough to go all giggly when someone waved alcohol around. Getting drunk was never appealing to her, and even less so when she was in a dangerous situation such as this one.

Red X looked at her and laughed lightly, as if she were being too stubborn for her own good. "The wine isn't to get you wasted, it's so the food tastes better."

"Aren't you supposed to drink _champagne_ on romantic outings?" Raven questioned sarcastically as she took a few, tentative steps toward the dark man.

He poured her glass and began to put the wine away to chill. "Champagne should be drunk alone, with desert, or with fruit. Its flavor is to light and sweet to match the heavy flavor of a meal." He answered deftly. There was another pause and he looked up at her strangely, as if silently asking why she refused to sit down. "Now, _sit_, Raven."

She sighed deeply and plopped herself unceremoniously in front of her plate. "I'm not hungry," She said as he removed the silver dome from her plate. He looked at her and shook his head, short silver locks twirling gently around his face.

"You're being stubborn, Raven. Now, eat." He picked up his glass of wine and took a sip, his eyes never leaving her confused face. Raven hated it that he never looked away from her, it made her feel as if he were reading her every move.

She picked up a fork and prodded her food for a moment, before looking up at him again. "There's an aphrodisiac in my food… isn't there?" Raven accused suddenly.

Red X paused for a moment, and then began to laugh heartily, a heavy rhythm falling from his lips. "An aphrodisiac?" he questioned his voice husky and deep as his gaze bore into her. "I never thought of that before… I suppose I'll have to try that on our next meeting, my little bird."

Raven continued to glare at him, feeling her anger start to flare again. "What makes you think there will be another meeting?"

"What makes you think there won't?" His lips twisted into a sly, seductive smile.

"Stop that!" The dark girl hissed, her eyes narrowing at him. She was becoming frustrated with his teasing games and short answers. Raven wasn't finding out anything about him, except that he was highly seductive in nature, and even _she_ was susceptible to his charm. That _wasn't_ an answer she wanted; she wanted to find out what he was doing here, what he wanted, and how he knew everything there was to know about her.

"Stop what?" Red X looked up at her calmly, as if her sudden outburst didn't faze him in the slightest. "I am merely telling you the future. We _will_ meet again…"

"What makes you so sure?" Raven snapped suddenly, his cockiness starting to pound on her nerves.

"If you are interested in me a _fraction_ of how I am interested in you… then you will come and see me again, I guarantee it." That stupid smile appeared on his lips again.

"Stop speaking in riddles! And stop smiling at me like that! It's unnerving!" She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want answers, and I want them now!"

Red X laughed again, his broad shoulders moving slightly with the thick, heady sound of his voice. "Tell you what, little bird. I will answer any questions you might have… as soon as you finish your meal. I don't want you to starve yourself because I'm 'unnerving'."

"Promise?" Raven questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"Cross my heart."

_**Across the city…**_

"Cyborg?" A tall red-haired alien padded softly into the living room and addressed her companion softly.

"Yeah, Star?" the mechanical man questioned, turning slightly to look at her with an expression of mild surprise. "What are you doing home so early? I thought you and Robin would still be out right now."

"Oh, the movie was a lot shorter than both of us had anticipated…" She sat down next to her mechanical teammate. "And shortly afterwards Robin said he received a call from Batman. He had to leave for Gotham immediately." She paused and turned to look at Cyborg with confusion. "Why is he not answering his communicator? I merely wish to know how his trip went, and if he arrived in safety."

Cyborg shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it Star. It's hard to get a communicator signal across the space between here and Gotham. Besides, when Robin is with Batman, there is _no_ getting a hold of him. Those two can be as stubborn as a pair of grumpy, old mules." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder when he noticed Star's downtrodden expression. "He'll be back soon enough, I guarantee it."

"I suppose you are right," Starfire responded, her face suddenly brighter. "I should not worry. Thank you very much for your support, friend Cyborg."

"Welcome, Star. Anytime."

(MOO)

So, this is the second chapter of _Sleepless Beauty_. I hope you enjoyed it, as I enjoyed writing it… :Grins: So, what will happen now with Red X and Raven… can you guess? … I hope not, because that will just ruin the whole darn story for you and me. I'm almost done with the last chapter of _Solidarity?_ In case anyone is wondering, but don't expect it out anytime soon, as I have WAY too much going on in the next two weeks. (Two AP tests AND the play AND world lit AND prom AND work… life really sucks)

ANYWAY… PLEASE REVIEW! I love it when you review.

Side Note to My beta-er: Sorry I didn't wait for your reply… I wasn't sure when the next time I'd be able to use my computer again. I still love you, if you're reading this.

PLEASE REVIEW… I love it sooo much!


	3. The Rage Beat

**Sleepless Beauty  
**Chapter Three: The Rage Beat  
_May 8, 2005_

doko ni mo tomaranai  
mitasanai Emotion SHIKATO kimete oikose yo  
furueteru SHAI na seikai no nuke-michi o neratte  
tadoritsuku basho e I Want New World  
_The Rage Beat;_ Kinya Kotani _(Gravitation)_

TRANSLATION:  
That unfulfillable emotion that never settles down somewhere--  
just decide to ignore it, then overtake it.  
Aim for the loophole in this shy, trembling society,  
for the place we keep struggling towards. I want new world

(MOO)

Dark violet and red clashed in perfectly torturous silence.

"Well… say something!"

Red X let that seductive, slow smile slip across his full lips and expose a row of perfectly straight, white teeth. "What do you want me to say? You haven't asked any questions." His voice was slow and languid, after he had been sated with a full meal with a beautiful companion.

'I'm not going to let him get the best of me!' Raven thought decidedly to herself, however she couldn't stop her cheeks from flushing at the sexual expression passed her way. Why was she so attracted to this damnable, masked, infuriating being? What was it about him that made him so… different? Or an even better question would be:

"Who are you?" Raven asked quickly, her eyes narrowing sharply at her masked companion.

The darkly-clad man leaned back into the chair languorously, his gaze forever centered on her face. "Red X, obviously."

"Stop being a smart ass!" Raven crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him angrily. The more he opened his mouth the more he infuriated her! "Who is your alias?" she questioned pointedly, hoping that he was going to answer her questions and stop playing these pointless games.

"Ah, Raven," Red X began, another smile playing across his lips, "As a superhero, you should know that is the one piece of information you can never give out. Your alias is something that no superhero should ever reveal." He rose from the table, stretched his limbs lazily, and walked across the room to the red velvet sofa in the corner. He sat down with amazing grace and elegance, the weight of his eyes directing Raven to do the same.

She ignored the command to relocate, and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. "You're no superhero; that rule doesn't apply to super villains," she spoke sharply to him.

"I beg to differ. Do _you_ know who Dr. Light's true alias is?" Red X asked in his deep, sensual voice. He watched as Raven's face fell in obvious defeat, and then continued. "I thought so. Now, come here."

Raven continued to sit there with stubbornness even a mule would be proud of. She glared at him through slits of eyes, and threw his promise back into his face. "You promised to tell me everything," she accused him of perjury sharply.

"Oh, I will… in due time." That unnerving smile of his was tugging at the corner of his lips. "As for now, I will only answer the questions I feel will do no harm to me." Pause. "Come sit down, Raven. It's so troublesome to carry a conversation across a whole room."

"You are annoying, cocky and pompous, and it's pissing me off." There was a low growl in the back of her throat, and her limbs were shaking with frustration and unused power. However, in spite of her feral words and actions, she rose to her feet and plopped down beside the dark man. His hands made short work of framing her face the moment she sat down, and his eyes began a ruthless search of her soul. It set all of Raven's alarms screaming into her ear, as if she should be wary to what this unknown person was attempting to do.

"I do not mean to anger you." His voice was suddenly soft and gentle, like a whisper of velvet; so pure and real, as if no falsities could ever come from his soul. "But I don't want you to know who I am just yet; it could put your life and reputation at great risk… that's not something I want you to endure, my little bird." With a strange, tender look, his lips descended upon hers carefully; this time coaxing her kiss from her, instead of demanding it.

Raven, try as she might, was helpless to the romantic onslaught of his mouth. She hadn't noticed it before, but his lips were very skilled and seductive; calling out to her in the darkness. She was helpless; all she could do was reply to his strange, heady invitation. After all, Raven _was_ a woman, with womanly desires and needs. And in his own, strange way, Red X was starting to fulfill what she was craving for.

"I don't want to lose you…" Red X murmured against her lips after he pulled away slightly. His tone was almost desperate, the deep notes of his voice wavering slightly, as if he was afraid of what Raven would do should she discover the truth. "I'm beginning to become rather attached to you."

"Well, _that's_ an understatement," Raven replied breathlessly, her arms taking on a life of their own and snaking up his chest to link loosely around his neck. _What_ was making her body act the strange way it was? Would attention from any male suffice, or was it just Red X that made her act this ridiculous? "With your stalker-like tendencies, I would have thought you were _way_ passed 'attached'." Her long, dark lashes swept upward, exposing her mysterious, dark eyes to him.

A slow breath was hissed out between Red X's teeth in response to her unintended sexual look. "Do you realize how absolutely _sexy_ you are?" His voice was deep and hard, as if Raven was driving him insane with need.

Raven's face flushed bright red suddenly, and she abruptly pulled away from him in shock and embarrassment. As she tried to stare at him incredulously, she realized that she wasn't quite sure _what_ to make of his comment. She had never considered herself pretty, seeing as she was at the bottom of the social food chain and grouped in with the eccentrically dark people termed "Extreme Goths". But here was this complete and utter stranger kissing her, and telling her she was _sexy_… what was she supposed to make of it? What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to act… besides wrapping her arms around him like some cheesy romantic heroine?

"I'm supposed to be asking the questions…" Raven muttered indignantly, trying to keep her face from turning any other colors. Her eyes darted away from his handsome features to the intricately designed, red marble floor.

"I suppose you're right," Red X responded with a slight tone of emptiness from the lack of connection, "I _did_ promise that I would answer your questions; Ask away."

Raven's eyes tilted up towards him, and she took a long deep breath. "Why me?" The question came out in a nervous, hurried whisper, as if she were afraid of the question and its possible answers.

'Shit!' Raven swore, her face suddenly burning a deeper red. 'Why did I have to ask _that_ question? Now he's going to think that I'm interested, which I'm not! … at least, I don't _think_ I am.'

There was a cloud of heavy and uncomfortable silence that descended upon the pair on the sofa. Red X looked at her strangely, as if she had proposed a question with a preposterous solution. "Why you?" he repeated, his eyes roving over her face shamelessly, looking for some indication of her emotions. "I think of all the questions you could ask, little bird, that that particular question has the most obvious answer."

"Obvious to you." Raven's eyes darkened angrily at his lack of verbal communication, and overuse of physical. Did he really need to be touching her so much? _And_ looking at her with _that_ look. "But I'm at a loss as to why you would go out of your way to stalk-"

"I'm beginning to despise how easily you fling that word around," Red X interjected exasperatedly.

"-me. I'm nothing special," Raven continued without so much as batting an eyelash to acknowledge his statement. "I'm at the bottom of the social food chain; I'm far too interested in books and information; I'm half-demon, half-human and a whole of nothing; to top it all off… I'm not very pretty, and have far too much control over my emotions." She looked at him long and hard, hoping that he would eventually give in to her logical arguments, realize he was in the wrong, and let her be on her merry way.

Needless to say that she was very distraught when she heard the deep, musical tones of laughter pour from his beautifully sculpted lips. "You're lacking very much in self-esteem, are you aware of this, little bird?" He leaned forward and pressed an innocent kiss to her forehead. "You are _not_ at the bottom of the social food chain; intelligence is _not_ a flaw, it's an attractive asset; you are a whole _person_, and that's all that matters; you're the most beautiful woman I have ever met and your controlled emotions keep me safe and in one piece," he reassured her, his fingertips tracing abstract lines on her face carefully. "Raven, you are an amazing woman… _that's_ why I 'stalk' you, as you so delicately put it."

Raven's eyes shifted to the floor, and with great reluctance she pulled away from his mesmerizing hands. "Stop touching me," she said quickly, her voice not coming out has harsh as she wanted it to. "I just…" She seemed flustered for a moment, as if she was unable to say anything else to him. Finally, she got to her feet and took to pacing the length of the room in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Red X held no tone of amusement or entertainment; he seemed genuinely concerned for Raven. It was as if he didn't like to see her distraught and without help; like he _cared_ about her.

"You!" Raven whirled on him suddenly, throwing up her arms in exasperation. "You! It's just…! GAH!" She let out a sound of aggravation before continuing on her tirade. "You waltz in here declaring your love for me and do this!" She gestured to the expensive private dining room and hand-tailored dress. "You tell me I'm beautiful and a wonderful person, but you know nothing about me! All you see is what I _show_ to the news and in public!"

Red X snapped to his feet and approached her. He grabbed her shoulders tightly and gave her a little shake, as if he was trying to shake sense into her. "Then _show_ me, Raven. Show _someone_ who you truly are. Stop wearing the façade and be your true self."

His gaze weighted heavy on her body and Raven pulled her shoulders out of his grasp, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. What did _he_ know about what she could and couldn't do? What did he know about her powers? What did he _know_?

"I can't." She sharply turned away from him and started for the door. "I can't control my emotions if I do…" Her hand reached out for the handle, but it was quickly swept away by a black gloved one. In an instant, Raven was spun around and pulled tightly into a pair of strong arms. She wanted to pound on his chest or throw something at him, but to her surprise, she found herself burying her face in his neck. She felt safe there; free to express her emotions and feelings. All of this was because of some crazy person with stalker-like tendencies holding her in his arms. She really_ was_ some cheesy heroine in a romantic novel.

"I'll be safe…" his deep voice whispered into her ear, sending strange shivers down her spine. "The world will be safe. _You_ are the one in jeopardy, Raven." He feathered gentle kisses all over her face.

"Stop." Raven's command was weak as his tenderness was beginning to throw out any presumptions she made before. "I can't… not now. I have to leave." There was a sheen of strong resolve and determination shinning in her eyes, as if she knew staying near Red X any longer would be dangerous.

Red X cupped her face carefully, making sure Raven's gaze stayed locked on his face. "Come see me tomorrow, Raven." He leaned forward and smothered her mouth in a fiery kiss that burned all the way to their souls. Slowly, he pulled back to let her reclaim her mouth. "Please."

"You're a pain in the ass…" Raven whispered, a twitch of a smile on her lips.

"I'm trying."

The dark girl paused as her fingertips hit the door handle. "Tomorrow?" She turned around, a mixture of anticipation and question swirling in her deep gaze. She felt so confused by what had transpired, as if she were never going to understand everything she needed to.

"Tomorrow," Red X said, nodding his head in confirmation.

"Here?"

"Tell the desk your name… they'll take you to me." He stepped forward, pressing Raven tightly against the door. "You can be who you want to be Raven… you have much more control than you're aware of." After one last kiss, he pushed her through the cloud of confusion and out the door.

"You…" Raven stared at the door, as she brought a hand to her lips. "You confuse me… and yet, you're very intriguing." With a slight, content smirk to her lips, she began walking out of the hotel, and into a whole new world.

(MOO)

"Friend Raven!"

A moan of disapproval escaped the sleeping beauty's mouth. She rolled over and drew the pillow over her head to block out the high-pitched voice that resembled ill-tuned wind chimes.

"_What_?"

"Robin has returned and he is inquiring about your health." She sounded genuinely concerned.

Raven picked up her head and tossed the pillow to the side of her bed, trying to decide if she should get out of bed. Any other day she would have felt a bubble of happiness at knowing Robin was concerned for her, but today she couldn't seem to conjure up the bubble. It was as if her encounter with Red X last night had changed everything, which it had.

"Why?" Raven spoke into her mattress.

"Because," a male voice said, making her shoot up. Robin. Why was she _still_ susceptible to that voice of his? It was really annoying for Raven to see all the similarities between her and a cheesy romance heroine. "It's one thirty and you're still in bed. Are you alright, Rae?" He sounded worried about her as well.

"I'm fine… I was just out late last night, at a poetry reading…" She visibly cringed, and was glad the others couldn't see her. It was the first time she deliberately told a lie to her friends, and she didn't like the sickening, twisted feeling that clawed ruthlessly at her stomach.

"Oh." Robin's tone was undecipherable. "Okay. Well, we're going out for a little bit and we thought you might want to join us." There was a pause and Raven could hear Robin mutter something to Starfire. She responded in hushed tones, and then walked down the hall, leaving Robin at Raven's door.

"I know you're still there…" Raven padded to the door and threw it open with a determined look on her face. Eventually, she _was_ going to get back to sleep, even if she had to hog tie Robin in order to do it. "What do you want, Boy Wonder?" She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame.

"Poetry reading?" He looked at her incredulously from beneath his black mask and cocked an eyebrow.

Raven's face flushed red instantly, and she glared at him as she came to a standing position. He was insinuating that she was lying about last night's activities. Well, she _was_, but _he_ didn't need to know that. "What do _you_ know?"

"You were out with your _crush_ last night, weren't you?" His voice was venomous and angry, as if he were accusing her of far more than holding hands and innocent kisses. He was suggesting that she was a wanton hussy.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Raven responded curtly, hoping the color wasn't rising to her face as quickly as she thought it was. "Besides, what makes you think that I was out with some guy last night?" She raised a suspecting eyebrow at his shameless face.

"Cyborg told me you left at nine last night, and you didn't get home until two in the morning." He glared at her from beneath the mask, making her uncomfortable under his gaze. There was an unfamiliar emotion shining in his eyes, and she didn't like it.

Raven shifted a little and looked away. He was right though; she had left at nine and wandered around the city trying to decide if she should go to Red X, and then she spent another hour afterwards trying to figure out what had _exactly_ happened in that little, red room. "So what? Poetry readings can last a long time. And, I don't think it's your place to decide what I can and cannot do. So, if you don't mind, oh great leader, I'm going back to bed, because I have a date tonight and need my sleep." With that she stepped back into her room, slammed the door in his face, and locked it.

"Bastard," Raven seethed as she crawled back in bed, "disturbing my sleep to accuse me of being a whore. He really has _some_ nerve…" She pulled the comforter over her head and instantly fell into a deep, red slumber.

(MOO)

CHAPTER THREE:does a happy dance: I'm so excited! So now that the play is over with, prom has come and gone, and I have flunked my AP exams with flying colors… I'll have more time to devote to writing! I'm SO excited. (I'm already working on chapter four!) So… I'm HAPPY! (Although I have to get a second job this summer… which totally SUCKS).

For those of you wondering, I haven't forgotten about _Black Magic_ and I'm working on the next chapter. PLEASE expect it out in a few weeks. I PROMISE:Hugs:

**QUOTE:  
**"Ooh look, I found something. Can I burn it?" – from my friend Kayla at our after-prom-pagan-party

**SHOUT OUTS:  
**Of COURSE one has to go to my great beta-er **ArtemisGirl**. If you haven't checked out her stories, I recommend it… they so totally ROCK!

And one to **Amber Myst** whose story _Hell's Fury_ totally rocks! It's good and very interesting! Ooo-lah-lah to you!

And finally one to FFnet, who FINALLY got a pairing-menu on the Teen Titans page! Let's give a round of applause!

So, check out my other stories, visit my website, have a ball, and PLEASE REVIEW! I love you so MUCH!


	4. Bird

**Sleepless Beauty**

Chapter Four: Bird

_July 30, 2005_

(MOO)

ikanaide! kono mune wa tsumi bukai yume mite shimau yoNever say good bye sono hane wo kiri totte makka ni nurasu yume wo

**TRANSLATION:**"Don't go!" In my heart, I can't help seeing that sinful dream --(Never say goodbye) a dream where those feathers are torn out and soaked in crimson  
_Bird, _Seiki Tomokazu; _Gravitation_

(MOO)

"You're in a dress."

Raven looked up into her vanity mirror to see the reflection of a masked Titan behind her. She sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Ever since this afternoon's little tiff with Robin, she'd been feeling frustrated and angry. What right did he have to push his nose into her personal business? And further more, where did he get off insinuating she was a 'wanton hussy' when he was groping Starfire every chance he got? Come to think of it, why _was_ he so interested in her personal life? After all, Robin only considered her a sister.

"_You're_ carrying a purse." Raven nodded sharply to the black satchel he was carrying at his side. A strange wave of malicious pleasure rode through her as the dark blush appeared on his face. He gripped the bag tighter and shot an angry look at Raven.

"It's my laptop. Bruce and I are meeting up to discuss some problems in Gotham." He placed the bag on the floor and leaned against the doorframe. There was a period of several minutes when he just stood there, watching as Raven dug through her miniscule amount of makeup looking for something that wouldn't make her look _so_ gothic.

"So, who's this hot date you're all dressed up for?"

Raven looked into the mirror again as her eyes narrowed at the tone he used with her. What ever possessed her to think that he was (once) sweet and endearing? Attractive yes, but sweet and endearing… no; at least not recently, not when he'd been shoving his nose into every tiny detail of her life. "I don't think it's any of your business who I do and do not see."

"I beg to differ. You're a Titan and it's my duty to not only protect you, but protect our namesake and honor."

"Careful," Raven said, not even batting an eyelash, "If your head gets any bigger it might not fit in this room."

"You're just angry because you think I'm imposing on your life," Robin snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Raven couldn't keep her eyes from rolling. "No, I'm not angry because I _think_ you're imposing on my life. I'm angry because you _are_ imposing on my life." She turned around and faced him, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Where do you get the right to know every miniscule detail about what I do on my off hours? Why do you shove your nose into every crack of my life? Why?"

"Because!" Robin took a step forward, his cheeks flushing with anger and another unknown emotion. "Because I care about you, Raven! You're my friend and a part of this team, and I'm worried about what might happen to you!"

Raven's face blushed brightly and she turned away, her eyes suddenly very interested in the floor. Robin seemed to have knocked over his purse during his heated speech, because a small bottle came rolling into view. Raven bent down and picked up the unmarked, brown object and looked at Robin.

"I know you're looking out for me, Robin," Raven said softly, taking a few tentative steps toward him, "But you have to let me do my own thing. I know what I'm doing." Lie. It was the second time she told a lie to Robin. She had _no_ idea what she was doing, or why she was doing it. She only knew that she was slowly being tangled more and more into a crimson web, and the spider was hunting her down with addicting kisses and sweet words.

"Here… this fell out of your bag." She placed the bottle into his hand, not even giving a thought to its contents. That is, until she saw the look of horror on Robin's face. She wasn't even remotely curious about what was in the bottle, but the expression of pure shock and fear made her very interested about _what_ was in that bottle. Why would one measly bottle make Robin so nervous?

"Thank you," he said crisply, quickly tucking the bottle into his bag. He stood up and looked at Raven with sharp, confused eyes. "Be careful, Raven… please."

She rolled her eyes. "I am. You're the one making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be." She turned her face to the mirror and her back to him. "Go meet with Bruce, and stop pestering me, Robin."

A long, exasperated sigh filled the room, and then Robin was gone.

(MOO)

"That's it…" Raven muttered under her breath. "I have officially gone insane. I must be completely out of my mind to be doing this..." She had been staring at a pair of French doors for the past several minutes, wondering what sort of hallucinatory drug someone had slipped her. For, not only was she back at the Crowne Plaza, she was also standing outside their most expensive penthouse.

The one that belonged to Red X.

'What am I doing?' Her delicate hands vigorously rubbed her temples, trying to ease the oncoming headache. 'Further more, how can _he_ be a thief and live _here_? Like _this_? This breaks all the laws of super villains. Where's the crappy abandoned warehouse?' Raven sighed deeply and continued to stare at the expensive, white doors for several more minutes. Finally, she took a few steps forward and gently knocked on the door. There was a soft rustling from inside, and then the door opened.

Red X stood there, looking slightly out of place. He had rejected his normal black spandex for jeans and a red oxford shirt, and also given up his usual skull mask to rely on the red cloth one that encircled only his eyes.

"Hey there," he drawled lazily, raking his fingers through his silver hair and leaning against the doorframe. In spite of his casual attire, he still looked as sexy as ever. "I didn't think you'd show up." His voice held a note of relief, as if he truly believed that Raven would never show her face to him again.

"As much as I didn't _want_ to come, I thought it would be best that we clear up any sort of misconceptions between us." Although her words were harsh and severe, the sparkle in her eyes and the slight smile on her lips betrayed her feelings. She wanted to be here just as much as he did, no matter how often she denied it.

"I suppose you're right," Red X played along, fighting to hide his own smile. "After all, we wouldn't want those misconceptions to destroy this relationship we have."

"Relationship?" This had apparently caught Raven off guard, and her cheeks flushed a bright crimson before she turned away. Since when did this cocky bastard have the right to fling the "R-Word" around? She looked at him sternly, trying to ignore the red color staining her cheeks. "I didn't think we had a relationship… I was thinking more of 'acquaintances' or 'contacts'."

Red X smiled, a flicker of sensuality on his lips, and he leaned forward to capture Raven's dark eyes with his masked ones. "Just by knowing each other we have a relationship, little bird…" he dropped his voice low. "But I'd say that 'acquaintance' is probably too loose a title for us, wouldn't you agree?"

"I…" Raven's flushed face turned away quickly as she forced herself to calm down. After taking several deep breaths she looked back at Red X and cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "You're being cheeky tonight, aren't you?" She asked blatantly.

Red X laughed, immediately breaking the awkward atmosphere between them. "I'm cheeky every night, little bird."

"Well, don't be rude… invite me in." Raven looked into his mask for a moment, a small, snide smile gracing her lips. "Other wise I'm not going to consider you the debonair man I assumed you were."

Red X laughed again as he opened the door and ushered her inside. "Debonair? I don't think I've ever been complimented and insulted in the same word before." He closed the door and turned back to look Raven. She stood in his entryway silently and watched him move around with her cool, inquisitive eyes. It was almost as if she were summing him up from different angles.

"Come on now," he said as stepped behind her cautiously, as if he were afraid of an attack, and gently pulled the cloak from her body. "Dinner is going to get cold," Red X remarked quickly, hoping to pry her heavy gaze from himself; something about the seriousness of her eyes made him uneasy. She seemed to be raging an internal battle with herself, and the battle undoubtedly concerned him and his attempts at wooing her.

"You made dinner?" Raven's voice held a note of mild surprise. She took a deep breath and was pleasantly surprised at the scent of freshly prepared pasta and sauce, which filled her senses. She looked sidelong at her masked companion, and made a sort of "hmph" sound. "Is there anything you can't do?" she asked in exasperation, eyes rolling to the ceiling.

"Sing." Red X responded without missing a beat, "I can't sing to save my life."

"It's nice to know you're human." Raven swept past him and into the dining room. A large, mahogany table had been set with fine china and a floral arrangement. A crystal chandelier overhead reflected dancing light around the rest of the extravagant room. The dark girl looked over her shoulder at the masked man, who was rummaging around in a cabinet. "Nice place you have here."

"It has its perks." Red X said distractedly, "The price-tag not being one of them." He murmured a soft "ah-ha!" and pulled out a bottle of white wine. He poured Raven a glass of nicely aged Sauvignon Blanc, and then continued his trek about the room.

Raven simply lowered herself into an overstuffed chair in the corner and watched him bustle around. She took a sip of the wine as she sat there, and began to notice some very peculiar attributes to Red X. For instance, there was a very familiar swagger to his gait; it was as if Raven had seen that funny little hip-cock before…

No. it had to be her imagination mixed with the wine. She had never seen that particular walk before, and if she did it was probably because all villains had the same cocky strut.

"So," Raven finally spoke, determined to fill the silence with _something_, "tell me, how much does a pad like this go for?" She swirled the wine around in her glass and took another sip.

"Much more than I care to remember…" Red X placed a porcelain, dish filled with pasta, on the table. He escorted Raven into her chair, and then took his place across from her. "And no," he continued after they had sat down, "this money was _earned_ not _stolen_. Pasta?" He spooned pasta on her plate without waiting for her reply.

"And _you_ earned it?" Raven prodded her pasta with her fork, all the while her eyes never leaving Red X's masked face.

"Yes."

"How?"

Red X smiled a secretive smile, which clearly said "I know something you don't know!" He poked at his pasta for a moment longer, and then raised his masked eyes to meet Raven's. "I'm a very savvy investor. More wine?"

"No, thank you. What kind of investments?" Raven was far too interested in the non-villain side of Red X to be hungry, but she forced down some pasta anyway, to be polite.

"Starting businesses, stock markets, mutual funds, so on and so forth. It's nothing that the average person can't do, I just happened to get lucky." He looked up at matched gazes with Raven, who smiled coyly at him.

"So then, here's the big question…" She had now abandoned her pasta and leaned back in the chair with a determined expression to her mouth. "What made you choose a life of crime?" She crossed her arms and watched him with her sharp eyes. This was the one question she had wanted to know since the night before. If Red X really had all this money, then what was the point in stealing things he could buy?

A small smile flicked across his lips as he continued to watch her. "Ah, that is the big question. Well, why not? Why does everything have to revolve around 'right' and 'wrong'?" He responded cryptically. "Aren't there gray areas in you're life as well, Little Bird?"

"Well…" Raven shifted a little, and let her eyes fall back to her plate. Through Red X's well-timed rhetorical question, she had found herself in a maze which there was no way out. She couldn't say yes, because that would be admitting that Red X was right; but she couldn't say no, because that would be lying. "That's a peculiar question." She finally murmured, poking her fork at her pasta.

"Is it? Let's say – and this is all rhetorical – that you are a superheroine, who has fallen deeply and madly in love with a super villain, who loves you back equally. You know you should turn him into the authorities, but you don't… isn't that a gray area? Wouldn't you be torn between him and your duty?" His slow, cocky smile suddenly unnerved Raven and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"The 'L' word is too strong to throw around like that," she rudely pointed her fork at him in a fit of ferociousness. "And besides, that's not a gray area." She snapped her fork down onto the plate and swirled pasta around its prongs.

"No?" Red X sounded mildly amused as he leaned back into his chair. "Then what is it?" He crossed his arms and continued to examine her carefully, much to Raven's displeasure.

"It's a rhetorical question that will never happen." Raven stood up abruptly, and started for the door. Her black dress swirled around her like an ominous, black mist. "I've got to go. I shouldn't have come tonight."

"Raven, wait!" Red X stood up so quickly that his chair fell to the ground with an ear-deafening clatter.

Raven paused in the door-way, staring forward. "You shouldn't say things like that." She finally muttered after eons of silence. "You _can't_ say things like that." Raven turned around and watched him with sad eyes. "I've been going against everything I stand for to be with you, Red X. I'm… I'm not sure what's happening to me, or what's going to happen to me… but when you throw your emotions out in the open like that… I don't know what to do." She paused and took a deep breath. "You're my enemy, Red X… and I'm yours."

"Your only enemy is yourself, Raven…" Red X stepped forward and in several quick motions, had crossed the room and swept Raven into his arms. "Look at me and tell me that you aren't interested in me… tell me you don't love me."

"Love?" Raven's dark eyes went wide with shock and anger. "How can I _love_ you? I barely even know you!"

"You know a lot more about me than you care to admit!" Red X snapped, and with that he moved upon her, and claimed her lips for his own. Raven almost hated it when he kissed her like that. He knocked the wind right out of her body, and left her as an empty shell begging for more.

"God, Raven…" Red X murmured against her lips. "I can't get enough of you. I want to hold you every time you're not with me. I want to draw you into my arms and kiss you senseless… don't you understand?"

"I…" Raven's response was cut short as Red X's lips moved down her neck.

"One night… just stay with me for one night…"

(MOO)

Sorry it was SO SHORT! Sorry I haven't been updating… but my grandmother decided to come and visit for a month, and I've been baby-sitting her everyday, and then I go to work at night… I have had ZERO free-time whatsoever. So… here you go, a small, not-so-great snippet of _Sleepless Beauty_. Pray that I have more free time in the future.

Love: Xaph!

PLEASE review... even though you may be very mad at me...I looooove you!


	5. Smashing Blue

_**New Chapter Five**_

**Sleepless Beauty**

Chapter Five:

_Smashing Blue_

"GLASS no shareta uso ni nanika o hoshigaru MY HEART  
shien no sono yubi de wazukani sasoi kakeru"  
_Smashing Blue, _Kinya Kotani

TRANSLATION:

"Amid these glassy stylish lies, my heart seems to want something.  
With those smoke-illusory fingers, you've merely begun to call out to me."

)O( )O( )O(

Raven pushed him away, as fiery amethyst eyes bore into him. She didn't know what hit her so suddenly, or why it had, but she began to realize the thin ice she was treading on. She was flirting with an enemy. She was being coy with some one what had broken into Titan's Tower and _stole _Robin's alter-alter-ego. She was getting herself in too deep.

"Don't you get it? Don't you understand what we're doing here?" Her voice held everything she was feeling; her anger, her attraction, her confusion, her lust… everything was pouring out in strange tones.

Red X looked down for a moment, and then turned around to face the window. "I know." There was a pause, and he began to speak to the sky. "I know that when I'm with you everything feels right. I know that every time I touch you I feel like you're supposed to be mine, and mine alone." He turned back around. "Don't you feel it too?"

She grimaced, her senses coming to her through the haze. "I can't say that I don't, because that would be a lie. However, I can't say that I do, because then I would be making more problems than we can handle." Everything she had been doing in the past few days was finally beginning to turn on a light bulb in her mind. She couldn't do this, even _if_ she was falling in love with him.

IF.

"Why fight me then?" Red X leaned in and kissed her ear softly. "Why fight your heart?" He nibbled on her neck.

"No…" Raven pushed him away again, this time the fire beginning to fade. "I _can't_. You _can't_. We _can't_." She stepped back, shaking her head. "I never should have seen you that first time. I'm sorry I started this."

"Raven." His voice cracked slightly as she turned to the door. "Raven if you walk away, I won't hesitate to get you again."

She sighed as her temples began to pound. "I know." Raven pulled on her coat and opened the door. "Look, I need some time. I need to think about what I could be getting myself into. You should do the same." She added the last statement with a bite.

"You're already in too deep." His voice was firm, but there was a hint of worry hidden in it.

"I know that too." The door slammed.

Red X ran his hand through his hair; silver dust fell to the ground. "Raven… you only think you're getting in too deep… I'm far deeper than you may ever know."

)O( )O( )O(

Raven refused to go home until later that night. If she did she knew there would be questions flying at her from all directions; namely from the masked Boy Wonder, who was starting to become the bane of her existence. He was sticking his nose into her business, and it was an unspoken law that if you bother Raven's space, you bother Raven. And all know what happens when you bother Raven.

She sighed and began to meander around the city, gazing into shops, watching people pass her by. At any other time, this behavior would be completely unlike her, but at _this_ moment, Raven didn't care. She finally came to rest on a bench outside a noisy night club, the loud drumming of the techno drowning her thoughts. That was good, Raven didn't want to think.

She wanted to forget about everything that had happened to her in the past few days; Red X and his stupid, obscene antics. She couldn't stop the bombardment of _feelings_. His stupid face (though she couldn't see it) made her angry, and happy, and pissed off, and cranky, and… and lustful. And loved.

She shook her head. She couldn't feel love, not from him, not for him. He was her sworn enemy, someone who stole an alias that was never meant to be released onto the world. And yet he pranced around her, flaunting the fact that they were treading on the thinnest ice. He was impossible. He was going to be discovered very soon. All the Titans, especially the bane of her existence, were beginning to notice the differences in Raven. Even if it was for a few simple days, they could tell that she was not being her normal.

Raven stared down at her dress, feeling ridiculous. She was _fraternizing_ with the enemy. Truth be told, she was past fraternizing. Eating pasta and drinking wine in his penthouse seemed to hold more weight. She looked up at the building, recognizing its art-deco exterior from three blocks away. She knew he stood at the window, watching the city, looking for signs of her. Part of her, and Raven wasn't sure what part, delighted in the thought, that she could hold the attention of a man. That she was developed as a woman, no longer a child, and barely a teen.

"This is stupid… he's a _criminal_ and you're prancing around him because he told you pretty things." Raven wasn't sure what prompted her to talk to herself, but she felt the sudden urge to shout at the heavens. Blame them for what they did to her. "Leave him there to rot. He'll give up eventually, and then you can live the rest of your life uninterrupted." She stood up and dusted herself off, feeling like she was wiping him clean from her memory.

"And uninteresting. Your life would be boring without me." The tinny voice behind her told her that he had opted for his normal mask again, and that he had somehow found her. Raven wanted to punch him all the more for it.

"There are plenty of other _real _criminals to keep me occupied, and give me one reason why I shouldn't remove your left testicle." Her fingers itched as she turned around, facing the caricature of a skull. She growled low in her throat, feeling very much like a wolf.

"You'd miss it."

She punched him in the chest. "Don't be an ass."

"At least you didn't deny it." Raven could hear the smirk in his voice, so she punched him again. Red X took a step back, just out of punching range and opened his hands like a peace offering. "I came here to apologize. I never meant to startle you, or make you uncomfortable. I am intrigued with you, little bird, and I lost myself in that feeling." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I've never had a problem getting what I wanted, but you're different, and I want to make sure that I do everything in my power to woo you."

"I don't believe you." Raven backed a few extra steps away from him and forced an eyebrow to rise. Her heart betrayed her though, it slammed so hard against her ribs, she felt they might crack. He was throwing pretty words around again, and they seemed to sparkle like diamonds in the moonlight. They were so tempting. She shifted and looked away, more interested in a piece of litter on the sidewalk. "It doesn't matter anyway, I've changed my mind."

"All of the sudden? About what, may I ask?"

"I never want to see you again."

The silence that hung between them was tangible. It hung like guillotine blade, ready to drop at the next ill thought word. Red X took a deep breath and nodded, as if accepting her decision. "I see." Pause. "That won't keep me away."

"I know that."

"Then why force me away?"

"I don't know. A whole number of reasons…." She ticked them off on her fingers as she spoke, hoping the movement would distract her from her heart. "You're a _wanted criminal_, egotistical, rude, spoiled… oh, and you're _annoying_."

"I see." He tilted his head to the side, as if he'd been wounded and didn't want to admit it. "Are you playing a game, little bird?"

"Don't call me that, and maybe I'm just turning the tables." Raven tilted her chin up, a look of complete defiance flashing in her eyes. She was determined to rid him from her life forever. He didn't belong anywhere near her, and she had to force both him, and herself, to realize that. "I don't like that you have all this power over me."

"I'm flattered you would think so." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels. "But you obviously haven't let a single word I said sink into you. If you had listened for even a moment, you would know that it's the other way around. That my heart is held in your hands, and the way you are twisting your fingers now…"

"Shut up." Raven turned around and walked away, because if she didn't his words would speak to her again, and she would be right back where they started an hour ago. She would be in his arms and he would kiss her like the sun wasn't rising tomorrow, and Raven would feel powerless. She was too strong for that. "Leave me alone, and stop spurting lines from trashy romances. I can't take any more of this." She stole a glance toward him. "I'll send the dress back to you."

"It was a gift."

"I'm re-gifting." Raven couldn't say anymore, so she took to the sky and left her companion obviously pissed off and distraught at their conversation. Good. It served him right for taking her control away; for making her feel that there was more to her than "that other girl from the Titans". She didn't want notoriety, she didn't even want people to turn and look back as she passed by. Red X had no reason to toy with her the way he was. He had no right to try and turn her into something she wasn't.

He didn't know her as well as he claimed, and she didn't even care to get to know him. There was a rift between them and nothing that Raven could ever think of would close that gap. He was a criminal and she was a hero. Nothing would make her want him as a person. As a bounty, he was already on a list.

Secretly she wondered when she would see him again. She knew her words, as harsh as they may have been, would not keep him away. It was only a matter of time before he showed up in her bedroom again. Raven frowned; she may have enjoyed that thought too much.

She landed on the roof of the tower, to her surprise there was a masked man waiting for her. She groaned. If she had to deal with any more raging hormones or ungrounded lectures tonight, she was sure she'd go insane. "What do you want?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond to her tone. "I saw you coming back. You were flying awfully fast, I was worried." He looked her in the eyes. "_Is_ something wrong?" He seemed genuinely concerned, and Raven just wanted to punch him even more. She knew it was anger displacement. She knew that she wasn't mad at Robin, and that their quarrels had stopped for the time being.

But it felt good to feel in control of something again.

"Date was a bust." She started for the door, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. They stared at each other for a long moment before Raven broke the silence. "What is it _now_? Is it not enough that you gave me that ridiculous lecture earlier, or are you going to spout off any more of your witticisms?"

"Don't be rude. I'm a friend who's concerned."

"Butt out. It's my own battle." Raven tugged on her arm again, but his grip tightened and she got the distinct feeling that he wanted to shake some sense into her. Her heart leapt at the thought of finally fighting back. She needed a fight. She need to pound something.

"We're a team."

Raven snapped. The word felt like hot nails being driven into her chest, and everything seemed to pour out of the wound. "_Team!?_ We're no _team_! You've spent all your free time with Starfire. You call her sweet things and profess love and enduring faithfulness. You ignore the world around you for _what_ for her!? How, Robin? How? You two are from different sides of the galaxy!"

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"I tried. I tried so hard to get you to notice me." For a flicker of a moment, Raven began to realize this had nothing to do with anything that Robin could have said or was thinking. It was all about her emotions that were trapped inside a pressure-cooker. "I wanted you to look at me the way you look at her. I wanted, for once, to have you smile and play with my hair and tell me you love me." She ripped her arm from his grip. "But you've been nothing but rude, mean, and angry towards something I can't control."

"Raven…I-"

"Don't talk. For the love of all things good, just shut up and leave me alone." She started for the door again, but Robin grabbed her wrist and forced her back to him.

"You never said anything. I always thought…" He didn't finish his words and looked away.

"I shouldn't have had to say anything, Robin." He opened his mouth to speak, but Raven raised a hand and silenced him. "Don't say anything, you don't need to. I think I'm going to leave for a while." She wasn't sure what prompted that, but it felt like a good idea. She needed time to breathe, to think. Hell, she needed just a moment of silence when there wasn't someone trying to get her attention or yelling at her with no grounds for their accusations. "I don't know when I'll be back, and don't contact me unless it's an emergency."

"Raven."

"Shut up. Please. Just shut up." She stared at him, feeling unshed tears gather in her lashes. If she cried in front of him she would never forgive herself. "You've done enough damage. Just let me figure this out and I can come back." She started for the door, leaving Robin alone on the roof.

)O( )O( )O(

_So there it is, a new chapter four. The story should progress now. It has a few more legs to stand on than what was written before. Hope you enjoyed it, leave a review and let my know what you think, or tell me of some problems. Thanks again!_


	6. Clipped

**Sleepless Beauty  
**_Chapter Six: Clipped  
_December 13, 2008

_If you're as sick as your secrets  
Then I predict disaster  
If you're as sick as your secrets  
You should know the answer_  
-Clipped, Halou

"This is stupid. He's going to think I have multiple personality disorder." Raven sat in the middle of the floor of Red X's penthouse, surrounded by an innumerable amount of expensive items and furniture. She had been sitting on the sofa, but she felt out of place amidst the finery. The floor seemed relatively inexpensive, and it appeared to be a perfect place for her. "He's going to turn me out the moment he sees me. _I_ would turn me out, after all the things I said."

The truth was that Raven's rash decision to leave the Titans for some time alone, had left her homeless. She considered taking up residence in a hotel for a while, but it would get expensive and it seemed pointless to waste that money. She didn't have many other friends, and going to the Titans East was too far away in case of an emergency. Winter was approaching, so kipping out with the hoboes in near-freezing temperatures was not an option. That only left Plan C.

"This is stupid." Raven had been repeating that line to herself for that past hour, hoping it would sink into her skull. She didn't think it would. Raven glanced at the clock again and sighed. It had been surprisingly easy to slip in and turn off the alarm system. Almost uncomfortably effortless. But, maybe it was just his home and not his base of operation. However, something about the simplicity set off alarms in her head. Red X did not seem like the kind of man to leave his fortress unguarded.

The door clicked slightly, and she forgot to worry as her heart began a new pace. A lump grew in her throat, and she couldn't help but whisper to herself. "Please, don't kick me out… I don't have anywhere to go…" Raven kept her gaze on the floor until she saw a pair of black boots in her vision. She looked up as Red X stepped into the living room and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, this is a bit of a change. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be tracking you down." Red X pulled his skull mask off and stared at her, his face completely unreadable. The silence was heavy as he regarded the bundle of blue on the floor. Finally, his lips tilted down in a frown "Is there something you needed from me, Little Bird? Or have you come to break my heart into pieces again?"

Raven felt her stomach churn against the accusation. She opened her mouth with a poisoned retort, more than willing to defend herself, but nothing seemed to come out and so she decided against it. Raven couldn't afford to get out of his good graces, especially when she had forced him away just a few hours earlier. This was insanity. "There was a… a change of plans. I need… I need a place to stay." The new silence felt like an anvil placed on her words. She forced her eyes back to the floor and whispered: "Please."

Red X tossed his mask on the coffee table with a deafening metal clang. He stood there a moment, as if contemplating her request. "I don't see why I should let you stay after what you said to me before. I'm not ready to give you up just yet, but neither am I ready to see you again. You said a lot of hurtful things to me, Raven."

"I know." It wasn't an apology, Raven wasn't sorry for what she had said. She was only sorry that she _had_ said them.

"I see." Red X took a few steps closer to her. "As long as you're aware of what you meant." He knelt down and picked her gaze up from the floor. His smile looked soft, but there was a hidden edge to it. It felt as though he was fighting inside himself. "Come on, Raven. Get up off the floor, it's silly and you know you don't have to beg like that." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a standing position. "I'm not the kind of man who would be able to deny you the moon if you asked." The admission seemed more for himself and less for her.

"I can stay?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

He threw his lean frame into the sofa, stared at her for a moment, his eyes inviting her to join him. When she didn't Red X grabbed her petite hand and dragged her into the finery with him. Raven fell against his chest, feeling his heart beat against her own. She tried to ignore the color rising to her cheeks, pretending as if nothing happened. Red X appeared to be doing the same. "You're more than welcome to take the spare suite. I'm not using it."

"I appreciate it." Raven said nothing more; she couldn't afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. And Red X had been more than accommodating. The conversation felt strained and uncomfortable. For the first time that night, Raven began to regret the things she said to him. "Thank you."

"Mm." They fell into silence. The night surrounded them in a soft blanket and there didn't seem to be anything else to say. Raven didn't want to admit it, but there was something soothing about the slow, steady pace of Red X's breath. It was like lying by the ocean and listening to the waves move in and out. She wasn't sure how long she laid there letting the day wash away with the waves; letting the soft pace of his breath pick apart all the bad memories, the hurtful words, the scorn, until the only thing left was the moment she was in now.

"Tired?" Red X broke the silence.

"No. I'm thinking."

"Ah." Pause. "If you don't mind me asking, why _is_ it you came to me? I thought I was the last person in the whole world you wanted to see…" He looked down at her, his face blank. "I'm pretty sure you made that common knowledge when you told me you never wanted to see me again."

Raven chewed on her lower lip, she tried to sit up and distance herself from him, but his hold was too tight. She struggled for a moment before deciding it was pointless, and glared up at him. "You are _quite_ annoying."

His deep laughter vibrated through her body. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I seem to remember you calling me debonair just a few hours ago?"

"Shut up." His hands fell away from her and Raven pushed herself into a sitting position. She pushed her hair away from her face, trying to ignore the way her stomach twisted at the memories. She had made some pretty stupid decisions in last few hours. "I got into a fight with one of my team mates, if you must know."

Red X raised an eyebrow, which peaked from below his red, cloth mask. "With who? The alien or the birdbrain?"

Raven scowled as he hit the bull's-eye. "None of your damn business."

"I'm just curious." He shrugged and sat up with her. "I know a fight with friends can have drastic results."

"It was over something ridiculous."

"You're lying."

She could feel the heat of his gaze on her and Raven looked away. "I am not."

"The Raven I know wouldn't let a silly argument get in the way of her friendship, nor would she up and leave over something 'ridiculous'." He stared at her for a long moment before deciding to speak. "Something must have happened."

"Shove it." Raven stood up. "I'm not going to talk about it with you. I appreciate your hospitality, but there's nothing else to discus. I'm going to bed." Her words were final, and if Red X had any intelligence at all he would let her go without saying another word about her flight.

"First door on the right."

"Thank you." Raven started down the hall but took one last glance at the man behind her. He sat almost perfectly still, watching her move toward the door. There was a strange movement in him that betrayed his calm exterior. He was fighting his own demons inside, and Raven wondered if she had been too harsh with him.

Raven couldn't dwell on the fact. If she stayed there and talked with him, it would only strengthen the bonds between them, and she couldn't have that. It wasn't fair to him, or to her. She turned away and locked herself in the opulent suite. It was safe there.

)O( )O( )O(

Morning came, proving that what had happened last night was not a dream. As much as Raven wished it was. She laid under the covers of the king sized bed and listened for sounds of her host. There were no hushed whispers, no sounds of the television being turned on, no footsteps in the hall. The penthouse was eerily silent. She took a deep breath of the still air and found she enjoyed the taste of the world around her. There was no sound of Beast Boy and Cyborg fighting; no pumping music from Robin's work out, and no Starfire asking her to play games.

Everything felt as though it was tailored to her liking.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

Raven jumped and yanked the covers up to her chin, trying to have some modesty in an immodest situation. Red X leaned against the doorframe, dressed in nothing more than a wrinkled pair of jeans, haphazardly thrown on. Although his cloth mask was placed perfectly, his silver hair was disheveled and there was a pillow crease on his left cheek. He looked rugged and almost handsome.

"Hello." Raven swallowed hard, hearing the echoes of her words last night as she stared at him, morning light bathing his muscular body. For a moment, she almost regretted her words. Almost.

"It's good to see you're awake. I thought you might sleep the day away." He smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I should say the same for you. You look like you just got out of bed." Raven forced herself into a sitting position and attempted to smooth her hair into a somewhat presentable shape. At least she was going to have some decency around him, even if he didn't reciprocate the gesture.

"I did." He grinned, as if he knew an amusing secret about her. His eyes darted to the clock before looking back at his guest. "Anyway, I called into work today. I thought we could go do something fun. You know, something to get your mind off whatever happened last night." He gauged her reaction carefully. "That is, if you're up for it."

"I don't know." Raven chewed on her lower lip. She was starting to find unfamiliar territory, and every self-preservation alarm was going off. But there was something dangerous and seductive about it. His offer made her want to break a few personal boundaries. Especially if the sun kept lighting up his body like a halo over Michelangelo's _David._ "It depends on what you had in mind?"

"No plans. Just go with the flow. We could go out to the national park and do some hiking if you want, or we could lie around the flat all day. Shopping, if you're so inclined." He shrugged at the glare directed at him. "Just throwing out options. I don't care, I'd just like to spend the day with you. You're more interesting than a board meeting anyway."

Raven drew her knees up to her chest and cocked her head to the side, suddenly curious. It was the first time he had given any sort of detail to his life other than what she knew as Red X. It intrigued her. "Playing hooky? What would you need to hide from?"

"Boring board meeting. I'd rather listen to Beast Boy tell jokes all day."

Raven jerked slightly, and her eyes narrowed. Although he feigned innocence, something about his posture made her realize that was a slip of the tongue. Her heart jumped to her throat and she noticed a small scar around the crease of his hip. Didn't Robin have a scar there? Hadn't she labored over the wound for hours because he was stupid enough to let it get infected? She stared at him for a few moments. "How do you…"

"Oh please." His voice seemed louder than normal, and he laughed casually, pretending as if he hadn't said anything suspicious and unusual. He was too much at ease, it felt fake. "I can hear all his ridiculous puns and stupid jokes whenever we've met. I imagine he's like that all the time, right?"

"Yes." Raven watched him carefully, still gauging him. "He's really quite annoying."

"I'd hate that." He pushed himself into a standing position and backed out into the hall. "Get up and get ready. I'm gonna start breakfast." He walked out of sight and down the hall. Raven watched him go before deciding to try something bold. Something she should have tried when she first suspected foul play on Red X's part.

"I don't think Kory would approve of this, Richard."

The footsteps in the hall stilled before turning around and coming back to her. Red X had a sheepish look on his face. He reached up and pulled the mask off, revealing pale blue eyes she knew all too well. His gaze hadn't quite reached hers yet, and he fidgeted with the mask before speaking. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out. You're too smart, you know."

)O( )O( )O(

_So, I know I deviated form my typical norm of using _Gravitation _songs for the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. But I found this great band called Halou. I love them, and this song just seemed to fit the whole feeling I was going for _Sleepless Beauty. _You should check the band out if you've got time, their EP _Sawtooth_ is a great buy and it's like four or five dollars. Totally worth it. _

_Anyway, here's the rest of the song so you can see what I see._

**Clipped  
**I'm never gonna talk about it  
I'm never gonna think about it  
I'm gonna swallow hard  
This couldn't ever happen, it didn't ever happen to me  
But somehow it did  
Did I deserve it?

If you're as sick as your secrets  
Then I predict disaster  
If you're as sick as your secrets  
You should know the answer

I'll fold the sheets into place  
I'll unpick the apple  
I'll make a fuss if I want , this is my disaster  
An ambush that I was never meant to see  
This is a big mess that I just couldn't keep to myself

I'm never gonna go, never ever go back, I'm not safe  
I don't want to go tomorrow, I want to run away  
I'm gonna blame myself, I'll always blame myself for this  
An impressive show of ignorance


	7. Hollywood Ending

**Sleepless Beauty  
**_Chapter Seven: Hollywood Ending_**  
**December 15th 2008

Will it all work out like a Hollywood ending?  
Will you reassure me?  
My eyes are burning  
When is wardrobe coming with my costume change?  
Lighting director, give a glow to my face

My head is spinning  
Can you feed me my next line?  
I'm new at pretending in these scenes that you write.  
Will it all work out?  
Will they cut this last scene?  
Will an editor please make it all feel complete?

We're in the dark here.

- _Hollywood Ending,_ Halou

)O( )O( )O(

"So, Raven…" Robin's eyes still couldn't meet hers, and he ran his fingers through his hair. Silver dust shimmered to the floor as his natural black color reappeared. "Now what?"

"Now… _what_?" Raven wasn't sure how to even begin to let the revelation wash over her. She shoved the blankets off herself and stomped up to him, glaring more than just daggers. She was begging for the fires of hell to burn him on the spot.

"_Now what!? _What do you expect from me!? From Starfire!?All this time! All this time it was _you_!" She flung a fist at his chest. It connected and Raven prayed that she broke a rib. Her hand hurt under the pressure, but she didn't care. It felt good to let something out. "You dirty, lousy… CHEATER! Do you _know_ what this will do to Starfire!? Do you _know_ what this has done to us!? To the team? Do you even realize the mess you made?"

"I know." His admission was quiet and he didn't even twitch, though Raven was beating his chest with every ounce of her strength. She didn't care. He would feel it later and it would hurt, just as much as his actions hurt her. "I knew what I was doing when I started this. I knew what this would do to the team." His gaze turned heavy. "I _knew_, Raven. I knew."

"So, that's it then!" Raven let her open palm connect with his face. The sound was deafening in the spacious room. Robin stared at her, still keeping his emotions carefully in check. Raven wasn't so controlled, and a nearby vase took the brunt of the attack. It shattered and water spilled to the floor with the two dozen roses the vase held. "You were just planning to flit between us until one of us figured it out?"

"No." His eyes were honest. "I didn't want to do what I did."

"But you did, Robin! You did!" She slapped him again. "You made the choice."

"I know."

"What were your plans for a long-term relationship?" She spit the words out at him, letting the fires of possibility sweep into the words between them. "What would have happened if by some glimmer of a chance I fell in love with Red X? Would you have led a double life because you, being a stupid, testosterone drenched male, couldn't choose between us?" Her hands stilled, trembling palms laying flat over his heart. She glared up at him, pain from betrayal shimmering in her tears. "What would you have done, Robin? What?"

"I would have chosen."

"You're lying!" Dark magic was starting to pool underneath her touch, and it webbed across his chest like poison. "You're an idiot. The biggest, stupidest, jerkiest idiot I've ever known. If I didn't hate you before, I do now."

"Don't say that. Please… I never meant for it to turn our like this. You have to believe me." Robin whispered his words into the heaviness between them. His hands moved up to cover hers, stilling the magic. "Damnit, Raven. You hold my heart in your hands. I wasn't lying when I told you that last night. It was the truth. Everything I said or did as Red X was the _truth._ Pure and unadulterated."

"Except for, oh I don't know, _the whole playing two sides!_ Get away from me." Raven pulled her hands away as if she'd been burned. Tears started and for the first time in her life, she didn't care if anyone saw her cry. She'd been hurt past pain, it had become complete agony. "Stop spouting off this stupid bullshit. You can't have both, Robin. It's one or the other, and you made your choice. You chose Kory."

Robin barked out a cynical laugh and his eyes couldn't meet Raven's again. He looked past her to the far wall. "And what would you claim to know about that? How can you _possibly _begin to understand what is between us?"

His words stung and Raven stepped back. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember what I said to you the other night? Don't you remember me telling you that outward appearances can't be trusted? That maybe the inside is much different than you understand?" Robin let his back fall against the wall, looking as though his body couldn't hold his weight anymore.

"What did you _mean_ by that?"

"I wasn't talking about myself. Jesus, Raven. Starfire doesn't love me! I can see it, why can't you!" His fist connected with the doorframe, but it didn't sound passionate. It sounded tired and worn. He glared at Raven for a long moment before continuing. "She wanted human experiences! She wanted a boyfriend because that was what 'normal' humans did. She wanted to kiss me because that's what couples do. You don't think I know that? Do _you _know how it feels to wake up one morning and realize that you're the equivalent of _skydiving_? Of bungee-jumping? Nothing more than a new, interesting thrill?"

"You're lying." Raven said it more for herself than for him. The look of complete despair in his eyes told her otherwise. There was something about his emptiness that touched her heart, and she didn't want it. She wanted to run away. "You're a bastard and you're lying."

"I can be pretty cruel, Raven, but I'm not oblivious." His body gave up and he slid to the floor. He stared up at her, his eyes turning listless in the dregs of adrenaline. "It hurts a lot to have Starfire turn away because I'm no longer new. But it hurts a million times worse to have you turn away because you think I don't have feelings for you."

"You made that decision." Raven's heart felt like it wanted to explode from her chest. She shouldn't be feeling like this. She shouldn't feel elated that her love had come flying into her arms, even though the action shattered her best friend's heart and Raven's trust. She shouldn't feel like all the pieces were falling into place and the heavens aligned. She shouldn't feel like this over what he'd done.

But she did. And gods, did it feel good.

"I don't know if I could ever forgive you."

"I don't think I could forgive myself." They glared at each other, feeling the anger and hurt wrap around them. Feeling pain begin to ebb away and let calm though wash in. Neither one could break the silence, and neither one wanted to. It felt good to let the emotions loose. It felt good to let them out where they could be examined, where truth could be applied. If someone broke the silence, the truth would become permanent and their lives would change forever.

There is no greater pain than truth.

"I love you."

"_What_?" Raven felt her body flush from head to toe and she forced herself to look away. She didn't know what her truth should be. What she was allowed to tell him. She didn't know if she had anything to tell him anymore. "I don't know what to say."

"That you love me too." Robin jumped up from his spot of the floor and grabbed her wrists, pulling her tightly against him. She could feel the soothing thump of his heart beneath their chests. "Tell me that you want to be with me… in spite of all the things I did as Red X. In spite of the fact that you think Starfire loves me… I've waited my entire life for someone like you. If I have to wait any longer, I'm going to die."

"Stop being so damn dramatic." Raven tugged at her wrists, but his fingers held tight. The feeling of being trapped with him suddenly frightened and enthralled her. It felt both fortuitous and forbidden. She stopped struggling and glared at him. "Come on, Robin. Let me go. I don't want to talk about this right now."

"You're always running away from me." He pulled her closer, and Raven could feel his soft breath stir her hair. It felt natural and calming. "For once in your life grow a pair and own up to your feelings."

"Stop being a jerk." She tugged her wrists free, but Robin's arms slid around her waist and he pulled her to him. Raven glared up at him, praying a lightning bolt would strike him down. "Let me go or I swear I'll remove a limb."

"You know, you're beautiful when you're angry." His nose slid down her neck. Their closeness reminded her of Red X's, or rather Robin's, kiss and her heart slammed against her ribs. She had to find a shred of anger to hang on to, or she was going to fall back into the hole she just escaped.

"I'm not angry. I'm _furious_. And you're stupid for doing this entire charade." She tried pushing at his chest again. He didn't budge an inch. She punched him in the stomach, and he finally took a step back, putting needed space between them. Raven glared, but Robin's face was unreadable. It was as if he was waiting for something to trigger his emotions. "Look, Robin. I don't want to have a fight with you. I don't want to deal with any more of this. It's not fair to me, to Starfire, or to you. Go home to her. That's where you belong."

"I belong next to you."

"I think you read more smut than you let on." She took another step back and the space was charted, known. It was a security blanket to her. "I need time to think about this. I just want to sort everything out before I can even tell you that I understand why you did it. Right now I'm barely sure that the earth has gravitational pull, let alone how I should deal with this mess."

"Starfire and I aren't dating anymore."

The admission was made without ceremony, and it struck Raven all the more because of it. She stood there, dumbfounded as the words felt like arrows through her chest. Had she been the cause of the break-up? Had her ridiculous involvement with Red X turned a healthy relationship into a disease? More tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn't tear her gaze away from the calm exterior of Robin.

"What?"

"It was mutual." Robin shrugged and looked away, obviously not wanting to discuss it much beyond what he was willing to tell her. "She already knew your feelings, but she didn't want to hurt me, and she didn't want to hurt you." Pause. "She heard our fight last night."

"Only I yelled." Raven had to sit down or she was going to lose herself in his words. She fell on to the bed and tried to catch her breath.

"I said enough to warrant suspicion." Robin shrugged as if he didn't care but something about his posture made Raven question what else had been said. What words had been exchanged. "She put it all together. She's smart. We talked about it, and Starfire decided she wanted to see what other relationships were like. What other couples did." He let out a small, hurt laugh. "I think she's on a date with Aqualad today. They're perfect for each other… both a little on the zany side."

"It still hurt you." Raven didn't know what else to say. The truth seemed to be the safest path. Robin shrugged and moved to sit down next to her on the bed. The sun fell across his salt and pepper hair, creating a damaged halo. He looked broken and torn, and it was all Raven could do to not reach out and comfort him.

"Yeah. It hurt. Maybe I was still hoping everything would work out. Maybe I didn't expect it to be so sudden… but if I got to win you in the end…" His ice-blue eyes met hers and he smiled sweetly. "I think the pain is worth it."

"You thrive with drama in your life… don't you?" Raven couldn't help the shadow of a smirk that passed across her lips.

"You enjoy making my life difficult. I was under the impression that the two went hand-in-hand?" Robin let his body fall back against the silk sheets. The moment felt still and perfect as all the emotions seemed to ebb away with Robin's steady breathing. Raven pulled her knees to her chest and watched his chest rise and fall like waves.

Maybe it would work out.

Maybe.

"I have to ask." Raven put her chin on her knees and stared at him. "How'd you do it? Really. How did you manage to turn yourself into something I could barely recognize? How did you anticipate my moves and words?"

"It's something Bruce and I have been working on. A liquid that modifies your voice for a period of time. He's used it for a few things with pretty good results… I wanted to see if it would work on me. The hair is just spray-in silver. It'll come out in the wash." Robin leaned up on his elbows and smiled at her with his trademark, boyish grin. "I can see I almost fooled you."

Raven laughed. It felt calm and natural, even though the situation was anything but. Maybe it was a start to her healing. Maybe it was the first stitch in their relationship. "It actually was the scar on your hip that did you in. Maybe if you had put on a shirt we would be having breakfast and not arguing over Starfire." She looked around the room and made a mental note to clean up the broken vase. Her eyes met his again. "And the penthouse? It can't really be yours… it's Bruce's right?"

"No, actually… it's mine." Robin shrugged at her shocked expression. "I never bothered to tell anyone about what I did in my free time. I didn't think it mattered until now I guess." He laughed at a joke only he knew, but Raven felt dumbstruck at the admission. "Being Junior Vice President of Wayne Enterprises has a few perks… like a six figure salary. And this penthouse…" Robin thought for a moment. "I think I have a Ferrari coming to me eventually."

"Why didn't you ever think any of that necessary?" Raven raised an eyebrow, but she couldn't say anything else. Her words couldn't come out right.

"It just didn't seem important." Robin's smile fell suddenly and he sat up. He reached out and took her hand in his, letting his thumb caress the back of her wrist. It was that simple movement that sent shivers down her spine and pooled in her abdomen. She found herself unable to look away. Something glued her gaze to his. "I swear, Raven, I was going to tell you tonight. When the time was right. I was going to take you to dinner and take off the mask and tell you everything Kory and I had discussed… I want you to know that I had chosen. It was you."

Raven forced herself to turn away to hide her blush. "Thank you."

"Truth." Robin said the word peacefully, reverently. Raven watched him as he leaned in to her, letting his nose just barely touch her own. "I promise we'll have nothing less between us. Nothing less than what you deserve."

Raven wished her heart would start beating soon. "Which is?"

"Everything." Robin didn't wait for her response, he leaned in and stole his kiss off the wings of her breath.

)O( )O( )O(

_The End! I hope you enjoyed it. I feel pretty good about the end of this, and maybe I'll actually write one where Red X is an original character. We'll see. It moves in me, but I have no idea where it all goes. So I hope you enjoyed it, leave a review. I should be doing a ton of writing of Christmas Break. In case you're interested, here are some other pieces I'm working on:_

**Union Dues **_(Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess) Midna & Link Romance._

**Across the Universe **_(Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess) Midna & Link Trans-Demensional Romance._

**Black Magic **_(Teen Titans)_ _Raven & Robin Romance. _

_We'll see how the rest of it goes. Merry Christmas, and Happy Festivus. _

_OH! I forgot to mention, the Red X and Raven story Burn inspired me to pick this piece up again. I love __EmaniaHilel's__ work. She's incredibly talented, and if you have a chance, read her work. It's lovely. _

_Thanks again. With love!_

_Xaph._


End file.
